ADO EKITI — Students of Ekiti State origin in
tertiary institutions embarked on marathon
prayers to seek divine intervention in the five-
month old strike by the members of the
Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities,
ASUU. The students, who were drawn from the various
institutions of higher learning converged at Lady
Jibowu Hall, Ekiti Government House where they
held the prayer session The session had in attendance, the state’s Deputy
Governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu and some
clerics. Adelabu in her remarks cautioned the
students against taking to the streets and
engaging in illegal acts that could lead to violence
and disruption of peace in the state. She noted that they did the right thing by taking
their petition to God. She said it was unfortunate
that both parties to the dispute – ASUU and the
Federal Government – had remained adamant
despite interventions from well-meaning
Nigerians. The number two citizen of the state urged the
students not to relent in their regular prayer for
divine intervention, saying that the death of Prof
Festus Iyayi, a frontline ASUU member in an auto-
crash along the Abuja-Lokoja Road introduced
another twist to the lingering dispute. Mrs Adelabu, who expressed the hope that the
prayers of the students would yield the desired
result in a matter of days, counseled the
undergraduates against engaging in activities
that could jeopardize their future. Mrs Adelabu regretted that the situation which
keeps them at home in the past few months was
not their own making and that their teachers did
not deliberately embark on the strike to put the
students’ future at stake. According to her, the lecturers were only
pressing for their rights and other logistics that
will improve the facilities in the nation’s citadel of
leaning and to make them world standard. Advising the students to engage themselves in
profitable ventures, she also urged them not to
completely abandon their studies but constantly
review their lecture notes in preparation for the
re-opening of the varsities. Pastor John Aladete in his sermon at the prayer
session urged the students not to be daunted by
their present predicament as a result of the
protracted ASUU strike. The cleric charged them to be hopeful with an
assurance that God will be with them irrespective
of the present development. He said God has
designed their generation to bring the desired
change needed by the country. The students were later led into series of prayer
sessions by some clerics including the
Government House Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Anthony
Famuagun, Pastor Tunde Akinola of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths, Pastor Mike Awopetu and Special
Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, Mr
Adeoye Aribasoye.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/ASUU-strike-ekiti-students-seek-divine-intervention/